How can I prepare my child for the wait between sending a message and getting a reply from friends? 

Parenting Perspective 

In an age of instant messaging, it is natural for children to expect immediate responses. This can make any delay feel like a personal rejection or a sign of disinterest. Helping them to manage this waiting period is a crucial part of nurturing their emotional maturity and strengthening their friendships. 

Explain How Communication Works 

Gently explain to them that waiting is a normal part of respectful communication. You can share that their friends might be busy with their family, offline for a while, or simply taking a moment to think about their reply. This helps them to see the delay as circumstantial, not personal. 

Encourage Parallel Activities 

Encourage them to put their device down and do something else while they wait. This could be drawing, reading a book, or helping you in the kitchen. This simple act teaches them that life continues in the moments between messages and prevents anxious waiting. 

Reflect on Past Experiences 

Help them to build empathy by reflecting on their own experiences. You can ask them to recall times when they were unable to reply to a friend straight away, and how it did not mean they cared any less. This personal connection makes the lesson more relatable. 

Over time, they will learn the important lesson that healthy relationships are built on understanding and trust, not on the speed of replies. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches that patience and maintaining good expectations of others (husn al-dhann) are essential for building and sustaining healthy, positive relationships. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hujuraat (49), Verse 12: 

‘ Those of you who have believed, abstain as much as you can from cynical thinking (about one another); as some of that cynical thinking is a sin…‘ 

This reminds us to maintain positive thoughts about others and to avoid jumping to negative conclusions, especially when there is a simple silence or delay. 

It is recorded in Riyadh Al Saliheen, Hadith 234, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘It is enough evil for a man to despise his Muslim brother.’ 

This teaches us to always uphold the honour and respect of others, which includes not rushing to negative judgments about their actions or timing. 

By guiding your child to wait calmly and to think the best of their friends during these small delays, you instil in them both emotional patience and the beautiful Islamic value of assuming the best in others.